A Game of Last Names
by lumosnight88
Summary: Hermione Granger finds out the truth behind her life but does she believe it? Her life is falling apart but the appearance of Draco Malfoy in her life changes that all.
1. Living a Lie

**Before you guys begin reading this story, I have to tell you that it's a very different story. It's not the everyday drama you would see.**

**There are some things which I would like to point out. Firstly, Ron and Hermione have not dated in my story. Secondly, they haven't even kissed; if they did my plot would be weird and Last, Arthur was killed in the battle. ( I know :( Do not hate me.)**

**No new characters have been introduced in this chapter.**

**Sit back and enjoy the show. Please review the story for me. I need to know if I need to improve. Critisism will also be appreciated as well. Thank you for reading; I don't want you to waste any more time. Enjoy.**

_**(Edited 26/4/2012 )**_

***-***

_Missing._

The Prophecy was known to be missing.

It was not misplaced. Instead, it was stolen. Nobody knows when.

It was just gone.

The last time it was seen was about 24 years ago by none other than her father. Not her muggle father, but her wizard father.

The disappearance of the prophecy was blamed on Arthur Weasley but, the man who most likely stole it would be Regulus Arcturus Black, former death eater, traitor to the dark lord, brother of Sirius black and known to be dead.

Arthur Weasley was supposed to guard the prophecy, and so he did until the day he was killed in the battle of Hogwarts.

Everybody thought that the prophecy was in no danger after the war but they were wrong. It was stolen, but not a single person knows if it was stolen before or after his death. The secret died with him.

Arthur Weasley lived a very interesting life. He always wanted to tell her, his daughter, the truth but, unfortunately he died just before he had gathered enough courage to tell her.

She was never meant to be given to a muggle family but her parents had no choice. They were terrified. They were scared. They only wanted to protect their family which already consisted of five other children. They also wanted to protect her. Besides, nobody would know, she wasn't a red-head anyway.

All those years of being called a Muggle born and being teased all the time were unnecessary because she always had magical blood. She had been a pure blood all along and she did not even know.

Yes, she was not originally a Granger; she was and is a Weasley. She always will be but she doesn't know that. She doesn't know that just as yet.

After the battle, Molly thought it was best if she told her children. She told all of her children, all except one. She never really gathered enough courage to tell her.

Nobody had the courage to give her, her real identity.

Her name is Hermione Weasley, not Hermione Granger.

_"Gabrielle, will you marry me?"_

Ron removed the ring from the red velvet box as he looked into Gabrielle s honey brown eyes fill with tears. The ring had a gold belt and a big red ruby in the form of a heart in the centre. He knew that Gabrielle's favourite stone was ruby. He knew her too well.

He inhaled deeply, waiting for an answer not shifting his gaze from her for even a second as he observed her every movement. This was it.

Gabrielle closed her eyes absorbing the truth. This was real. He just asked her to be his, forever.

"Love, would you like to marry me?" he repeated, this time fear and hope shown in his eyes. Not only did he want her, he needed her.

She couldn't speak. For her, this was a fantasy. She had always dreamt of the day Ron Weasley would ask her to be Gabrielle Weasley and be part of his family like her sister was. She was ecstatic. She shifted her gaze from the ground towards Ron's eyes as she nodded, this time a smile forming on her face. This was a dream come true.

_Ron recognized all her emotions. He knew her too well._

_Ron was relieved as he smiled at her with tears in his eyes. Finally she would be his._

_He proceeded to put the ring on her finger when he saw her and panicked. Gabrielle s face had disappeared and now it was Hermione who in front of him. Her face was haunting him. He saw Hermione with red hair and she was looking at him with disgust._

_He put the ring back in the box and before he could look at her face again, he heard somebody yell._

Ron woke up sweating and panting furiously. He had kept the secret from her for too long. He wanted to tell Hermione but he had no courage to tell her, just like his parents. The only person that kept him stable through all this was Gabrielle.

Gabrielle Delacour, Fleur Weasley's little sister had fallen in love with Ron Weasley a year after her sister's marriage. She would hang around the shell cottage and the Burrow very often which gave her the opportunity to speak to Ron frequently. She was extraordinarily smart, tremendously witty, and exceedingly funny and she loved Ron more than any other woman on the planet and Ron loved her back the same way.

Ron had the courage to talk to her alone one day. That day, he had succeeded in getting a date with her.

They dated for about 5 years straight and ever since January 21st Ron has been roaming around with a ring in his pocket, hoping he would finally have the courage to propose to her.

He walked over to the loo where he washed his face and glanced at himself in the mirror. He couldn't take in anymore. These dreams were making him feel like a coward. He had to tell Hermione so that he could propose to Gabrielle in peace. If he told her, nothing would stop him from proposing to her anymore.

He had waited too long for this. He was going to give Hermione her real identity and nothing was going to stop him this time.

_Hermione, _

_Meet me in the usual hang out at 10. It's urgent._

_ Ron _

He scribbled that on a sheet of paper and he watched his owl fly out of the window into the night sky. Surprisingly, there were no stars today. Tonight would be a glum night.

He was just going to get a glass of water when he heard another yell from downstairs and this time it was not in his dreams.

_*Seven years ago*_

_Just a few days ago, before the battle, Molly and Arthur were having a heated conversation_

"Molly, dear, it's been 17 years. I know how you feel but we can't keep this from our own da-"

Arthur Weasley was just interrupted by Molly Weasley who was frustrated. "I don't know what to do Arthur! She'll never believe us."

"Molly we must tell her even if she doesn't believe us! We can't keep arguing about this every night. We have to tell the other kids as well; in fact they deserve to know. They have every right to know. Molly, she has every right to know and besides, she's a grown teenager. She will understand. Trust me."

"And what about her love for Ron, her love for this family? What if it all fades away?" Molly sobbed.

"She will understand. She will be upset at first but she will understand. We can't keep acting so strange around her, she's bound to know something is wrong."

Molly was devastated. "I'm such a bad mother."

"Calm Down. We have to tell her. Not only are we going to tell her about our little secret, we have to tell her about the prophecy too. She deserves to know."

_"We'll tell her in due time." Molly ended the conversation and she went inside the kitchen.  
_  
^-^

"Ginny? What's wrong? Were you the one who screamed?" Ron asked as he watched his little sister stare out the window.

He got no reply. It was as though Ginny was a statue standing in the middle of the room. She looked so pale.

"Ginny! Answer me right now!" Ron was worried now; he had never seen his sister like this before.

No reply again.

Ron walked towards Ginny, held her by her shoulders and turned her around to see that she was crying her eyes out and that she was holding two sheets of paper.

"What is that?" Ron asked pointing to the sheets of paper.

Ginny couldn't stand it anymore; she couldn't hold back her tears. She started crying loudly, she started crying like there was no tomorrow. Ron couldn't see her like this. What was the cause of her crying like that in the middle of the night?

Ron reached out for the letter and he began reading it. At the same time, he was holding onto Ginny to give her support.

_Ronald and Ginerva Weasley,_

_9.45 pm._

_Molly Weasley was found dead tonight at 9.45 pm. Cause of death has not been identified yet. She was on her way back home from work when she was found dead by none other than a ministry worker who was visiting 's. We are very sorry for your loss._

_Attached to this letter is Molly Weasley's will._

_-St. Mungo's._

"No, this can't be."

He felt numb. There was a sinking feeling inside of him. Maybe he was dreaming again. He pinched himself but sadly, he was awake. Was this a joke?

Tears were pouring out of his eyes like a waterfall. No, not his mother! There must be a mistake! The only parent he had was now dead. This was not fair! Why do things like this happen to them? He turned the sheet over to read his mother's will. It was indeed her will as he recognised her handwriting.

_I, Molly Weasley, pure blood, do hereby revoke all Wills made by me and hereby make, publish and declare this my Last will and Testament in the form and manner as follows:_

_Article 1:_

_I revoke all prior will and codicils._

_I am a widow, married to Arthur Weasley in my past._

_I have 7 living children. One of them lives no more. All the references in my will be for my "child" or my "children."_

_Article 2: _

_I give my property to the following persons:_

_All to my children, equally._

_Article 3:_

_I hereby declare all my money in Gringotts vault 777 to go to my children, equally._

_Article 4:_

_This Will is to be delivered to all my children._

_Charlie Weasley._

_William (bill) Weasley._

_Percy Weasley._

_George Weasley._

_(Fred Weasley)_

_Ronald Weasley._

_Hermione Weasley._

_Ginevra Weasley._

Ron looked over the will again when he noticed that the will would have reached Hermione as well and she wouldn't take it too well. She couldn't find out like this.

Ron had to show her the letter his mother gave to him. The memories of his mother would forever stay in his heart. He was still crying furiously. Ron would not let his mother's death go un-noticed. He would find out who was behind it and when he did, he would not spare that person.

Ron wiped the tears from his cheeks as he proceeded to give Ginny a hug.

"Be strong! Everything will be fine," Ron said to Ginny before he left to meet Hermione.

*-*

Ron asked Hermione to meet him by the river at ten. He sent her an owl fifteen minutes ago and he mentioned that it was urgent.

When Hermione read the letter she rushed to find out what was wrong, she didn't even bother reading the second letter that came in later. She would do anything for Ron, Harry and Ginny. She wouldn't even mind jumping off a cliff for them.

Ron saw her as he made his way towards her. This was it, truth would be revealed. Tonight, there were going to be tears of sorrow and tears of anger.

Ron had just met her, he didn't even say hello when, "Hey! Thought we would find you here." yelled Harry.

The black lake was a little hang out Ron, Harry and Hermione discovered after the battle. It was close to all their apartments and it was peaceful here. It was surrounded on all four sides by bushed so nobody would spot them when they talk or even do magic. It was away from the busy streets so it would calm all of them down on busy days. This hang out was flawless.

Ron and Hermione were both taken aback at the presence of Harry.

"Harry?" Ron managed to say after what seemed like an eternity.

"I went to your room and I noticed you left, thought I'd find you here," Harry said smiling at his best friend.

"Anyways, there is something I've got to tell you Hermione." Ron blurted out moving his gaze from Harry to Hermione, pacing through his words.

"What is it Ron?" Hermione sounded insecure when she said that.

"It is a very long story. It's all in this letter. My parents wrote it seven years ago," this was it. Ron handed Hermione the letter.

_Hermione dear,_

_Please read each and every word carefully. It may sound crazy but it is the truth, we would never lie to you._

_We had eight kids not seven._

_We had two daughters not one._

_"19th September, birth of our very first daughter."_

_It will take you ages to believe this Hermione, but you are the eighth child. You are Hermione Weasley not Hermione Granger. I gave birth to you 24 years ago and we have all the proof needed to prove to you that you are our daughter. Just to 's and you will find everything you need. I don't know how to tell you this but you were always Hermione Weasley._

_Hermione, before you jump to conclusions, we would like you to know that we love you with all our hearts and that we gave you away for your own safety and because of a prophecy. We thought that giving you away would keep you safe and you wouldn't come across any Dark wizard, but we were completely wrong. You did defeat Lord Voldemort, alongside Harry that is. We are extremely sorry. _

_Oh right, The prophecy of course is something new to you and I'm very sure that now that you are reading this letter, you are in no more danger and that you do not need to know about the prophecy._

_It's not that we never loved you, we always loved you and the day we spotted you at King's cross, we knew that truth had to be revealed some day but I'm afraid to say that today we are not here in person to tell you. Instead, please take this letter as an apology for the delay and try to understand.  
_  
_Forgive us._

_Love, _

_Mom and Dad_

_ (Molly and Arthur)_

Hermione took time to absorb the information she was just given. She was not going to freak out. Calmly she turned to Ron, "You knew all along?"

"Not really, I found out five years ago," Ron replied as though he was ashamed of what just happened. He knew he should have told her before. She would never trust him again.

Hermione was speechless. How could no one tell her before? This was insane. It felt like there was a black hole where her heart should be. Was this some kind of joke? "What? Huh? WHAT? I could have died in the battle and you decide to tell me now? It took five years for you to gather enough courage to tell me? What do you think I am?" she was furious.

Ron knew this was coming and he was absolutely prepared for it. Without further distractions she started speaking. "Hey calm down. My mother told me the whole story and I found out only five years ago. It all started one night when Dad returned home from work."

_(Flashback) _

_"Molly? Dear are you alright? How's our baby girl doing?"_

_ A very young-looking Arthur walked in on his beautiful wife taking care of an infant._

_"She's doing just fine. I just put her to sleep a while ago. It's not easy putting a baby to sleep with Fred and George around now is it?" said Molly smiling at her husband._

_Arthur walked up to little Hermione who was sleeping in her cradle and kissed her on her little forehead. _

_"She's an angel. If only she got read hair like ours, thanks to your family genes." He whispered as little Hermione was snoozing._

_"She's beautiful in her own way but, Arthur, what are these?" Molly picked up a whole bunch of paper and scanned them through as she became worried._

_Arthur decided not to speak. He had cried all afternoon because of this._

_"Arthur Weasley! You better tell me what these are this moment!" Molly said gesturing to the bunch of sheets in her hand._

_"Molly, I need you to sit down and listen. This is no joke." He was very seriously._

_Molly seated herself on an old sofa. The fabric looked like it hadn't been replaced for over 10 years._

_"Honey, it's about a prophecy. The ministry found out that you gave birth to a girl this morning and they looked terrified. They told me the prophecy is coming true. I was baffled but I listened to them anyway. They said that they would tell me about the prophecy and show me for proof."_

_"Continue" was all that came out of Molly's mouth._

_"The prophecy stated that the first, Girl born Weasley will be involved in a battle with a dark wizard and they suspect that the dark lord is involved."_

_"NO!" yelled Molly waking baby Hermione up. Surprisingly, baby Hermione was not crying. She got up and picked up her baby possessively and started crying, Arthur standing with his arms around her._

"Go on." Hermione inquired tears forming in her eyes.

"The next day they decided that it would be best if we gave you away to the muggle world so that you were safe from the dark lord." Ron replied.

"So I wouldn't know about magic." Hermione finished. Tears trickled down her soft cheeks. She paused and then spoke again, "Did the 'Grangers' know?"

"No" Ron added.

"I believe you but, why did you tell me after all this time?" Hermione questioned again being the kind of person she is.

"Voldemort is dead. You are in no more danger. Mom told me she wanted to tell you herself but she passed away tonight." Ron began, "I thought it would be safe to tell you now."

"She passed away?" Hermione and Harry asked together

"Yeah," Ron replied as tears started to form in his eyes.

"Sorry Ron." Hermione said.

"She was your mother too you know," Ron replied patting her on her back and wiping the tears that had formed in her eyes.

Harry was speechless. Mrs. Weasley had given him a reason to be happy in his childhood; she had treated him like her own son. He felt like he lost his parents all over again. She had given him another home. She would always stay in his heart.

There was utter silence for a moment. Ron was crying. Hermione was crying and even Harry was crying. It was a game of tears. All this crying had made Harry forget what he was here for.

The sky was very lonely; there was no sign of even one cloud. There were no starts to be seen as well. Such a sad day it was indeed.

"Welcome to the family." Ron managed to say. "You're welcome to move in with us if you like."

Hermione still had so many questions in her mind but one thing she knew for sure was that she would never be able to forgive her 'parents' for not telling her but she did love them and she would definitely not move in with the Weasleys. Not now at least.

Did she believe this?

She trusted the Weasleys with her life, of course she believed this.

She looked at her 'brother' with tears in her eyes.

She was 'home' since she was eleven; it's just that she didn't know that that was her real home. She felt like the world had fallen down on her all at once when she realised that her Harry was standing beside her.

"That's all." said Ron as tears made their way from his eyes. He looked very pale. He looked petrified. He felt sad for her and his whole family. How would he survive without his mother?

"Alright," sobbed Hermione as she pulled him and Harry into a tight embrace. They all needed it. That's what best friends are for right?

Ron broke away. "Goodbye Hermione. I need to go see the others now. You'll be fine, trust me. Pretend as though you knew all along." There was silence and then with a flick of his wand, Ron had left to see the other members of his family. To make sure they were okay.

Ron had left Hermione and Harry standing there.

"Bye Hermione. I need to sort things out." Harry kissed her on her forehead and he left as well.

Hermione was left there standing, all alone in her time of need. The feeling inside her was worse than the feeling a person would get if he was surrounded by a billion dementors. In fact, she would rather be kissed by a dementor than face life after what she just heard.

She was living a lie all along.  
*-*

**How was it? Please review? Did you love it? Did you hate it? Please please review. :)**


	2. Fall of the Ministry

**Once again, I own nothing but the plot. I have quoted the lines "Stay with me," and "Always from The Deathly Hallows." She owns the characters and everything. Sit back and enjoy.**

**I know this was an early update and I'm very happy I could manage it this fast.**

**Please do not forget to review. Suggestions and criticism are also allowed :) Do not hesitate please.**

**Without further yapping, here you go. Chapter 2.**

Draco could not stand to see his mother like this; she was the one person he loved the most, the one person he would die for. His mother had endlessly cared a lot for him even though his father treated him like a pile or rubbish. She never forced him into the pureblood things that his father always pushed him into. Their relationship was like any other mother and sons, loving, caring and sharing.

After the disappearance of his father, his mother had been very lifeless and pale. Clearly, she loved the man a lot. For the past week, she sat in front of the fireplace in the library, sulking. She had not had a drop of water for two days and she had not even agreed to eat anything.

Narcissa Malfoy had been married to Lucius Malfoy for over twenty five years and a lot had happened in those twenty five years. It was obviously a love marriage and, back then the motive of Lucius Malfoy was not to marry a pureblood, it was to marry the love of his life.

A few years later, they had their first baby, Draco. It was the happiest moment of their life. The baby was so much like his father, the hair, the eyes and the smile. Their most cherish memories would be watching little Draco play in the gardens while they held hands. Life was perfect for them, until the day the dark lord ordered Lucius to train Draco to be a death eater. Malfoy manor had been gloomy ever since.

Draco did not know what his mother was going to say when she saw the front page of Today's 'Daily Prophet' he was holding. He did not want to upset her more, but he had to show it to her. It was not like he had a choice. He slowly opened the door and he felt the dullness inside the room. It was dark, cold and depressing. There was a flame at the far end of the room where his mother sat. The room looked more like a dungeon than a library.

"Lumos," he whispered. All the lights in the library lit up. The room finally looked alive. The darkness was gone, but there was more to come. He glanced over to see his mother still crying. He walked over to her and sat down on the armrest of the chair as he wiped a tear off her face and handed her the Daily Prophet.

_'Missing'  
- Timathy Stance._

Lucius Malfoy disappeared two months ago from the Manor one night and did not return ever since. Many search parties have been assigned to find him but none have been successful. Today, Lucius Malfoy is officially declared 'missing'. Anybody who has any news about him should please contact the Ministry of Magic.

The fate of the Malfoy Manor has finally come down to this, Draco Malfoy, age 24, son of Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy will be taking over the responsibilities of the Manor. Records state that Draco Malfoy works as an Auror for the Ministry of Magic for three years.

The case file which talks about the disappearance of Lucius Malfoy has now been placed in complete lockdown in the Ministry. It is not positive that he is still alive.  
Draco Malfoy will be handed the Manor keys today. He is the new Master of the Malfoy Manor.

Narcissa Malfoy felt no need to live. There were tears running down her face. "Draco, he could be dead," she cried. She was shivering. This was not like her. She was no longer the proud and fearless lady she always was. She was scared and weak.

Somewhere, far away from the Manor, sat Lucius Malfoy face to face with a young man known to be dead.

"Rubbish!" spat Lucius Malfoy as he violently threw the newspaper in the bin.

"Calm down Lucius, to the world you are missing. Do not forget that."

"And to the world you are dead but I do not see front page articles on you!" Lucius distorted.

"I was never a successful man like you. I never earned so much money. I do not own an enchanted fortress. You hold a significant place in the world, Lucius," he paused,  
"Now tell me, why help me?"

"The Prophecy," Lucius replied.

The man smiled. "Ah! So you have heard about the prophecy?"

"Heard of it? I have been waiting for this day. I have been waiting for your return after the Dark lord's downfall." Lucius smirked.

"Call him by his name. He will not be feared around me. In fact, I am happy that potter boy killed him. Now, I can get back to what I have to do. No more obstacles. I shall live while the other perishes, I am worthy or more power than she."

"Who else could be more powerful than our very own Regulus Black?" Lucius said, a smirk forming on his face.

"Tomorrow the ministry will fall," replied Regulus Black with pure evil in his eyes.

While Lucius Malfoy was busy helping the rising villain, Draco Malfoy had been called to meet the minister of Magic.

"Mister Draco Malfoy! Please do come in and have a seat," said the minister of magic, Skyle.

"It's a pleasure Mr. Skyle, now what is this very important meeting for?" Draco replied in his charming voice.

The blonde had changed so much. From handsome, he had become more handsome. His hair had acquired brown highlights, his eyes still grey. His smile, as charming as ever and his body as muscular as it could be.

"We are sorry about the disappearance of your father and please call me Skyle," the minister calmly continued.

"That's alright. He never really cared for me. Anyway, what was so important?" Draco asked losing his cool.

"Mister Malfoy, we have considered giving you a promotion." Skyle began.

"That's wonderful. Thanks a lot," replied Draco grinning.

"However, you did not let me finish. You have to work with a partner on this one. You need to be considerate and helpful. Your appointed partner is very dedicated and she has over five years of experience." He stated.

"Uh that sounds great. However, may I know her name?" Draco questioned.

"She is very intelligent and smart and she is a charming young lady." He continued.

"May I know her name?" Draco said stiffly.

"Her name, Mister Malfoy, is Hermione Granger." Skyle ended.

Draco sat there petrified and shocked for a few minutes before smiling at the minister, shaking his hand and pacing out of the room concerned about what may happen to him tomorrow at work when he confronts Hermione in person. For the first time, Draco Malfoy was nervous. He could not think of working with Hermione Granger, the girl who had punched him across his face in his third year. This was going to be a long night. Hopefully, he would dream of something more inviting before his encounter with her tomorrow.

_Hermione was walking through a dark alley but wait, she was not alone. She was holding someone's hand, someone very familiar. Someone whose name she had at the tip of her tongue. They both had their wands stretched out, ready to attack. The tension between them was growing and every step they took could be heard in the utter silence around them when "BOOM!" _

_The grip around her hand became stronger and tighter.  
_  
_"Stay with me," she said ready to break down._

"Always," said the man beside her.

The scene changed…..

The face came closer and she could feel the man breathing. She could feel the man around her even though she could not see him.

"Smartest witch of your age they say?" questioned the man.

Hermione was blindfolded and she could not see a thing and then suddenly she felt the

_presence of another man. One she was not scared of, one she needed._

"Hermione Weasley or Granger, whatever it is, get ready to see your life dissolve in front of your eyes, once again."

Her blindfolds fell.

Hermione woke up sweating and panting. What had just happened? This dream, it just felt so real to her. It felt as though she was living the moment when she woke up.  
She walked over to the loo where she washed her face and glanced at herself in the mirror. Suddenly, Hermione looked petrified and not her usual beautiful self. Her face was pale and the rosiness of her cheeks had started to fade away. Her hazel brown eyes had lost their lustre.

Tears started to trickle down her cheeks. She felt lonely and helpless. Her life had started to fall apart. She crouched down on the floor as she started to sob. She did not hold back her tears. Nobody would hear her. Why did this happen to her life? Why could not she just be a Granger?

Hermione's morning was a disaster. She woke up late so she had to rush through her daily rituals, and she had to rush to work. Sadly, she forgot to check her mail; again, she did not even find the letter which stated that she got a bit of fortune from the Weasleys. She did not even see her mother's will.

She reached office to be bombarded with work and assignments. "Aah!" She hated this! There was a letter on the table from her boss. 'Oh no!' she thought. She picked it up fast and ripped it apart.

_Ms. Hermione Weasley,_

_You are appointed a new partner due to the disappearance of your old one. Good luck._

_- Mr. Skyle Walabi._

Hermione always giggled when she saw his full name, but today she could not even try to force a smile on her beautiful face. She just stood in the middle of her office room staring at the letter on her table.

'Oh god!' she thought, 'My new partner will come soon. I'm such a mess!'

Just when she was about to start clearing up her office, someone unexpected walked inside.

She stared at the man and started judging him from his shoes. He wore very expensive italian shoes which Hermione had spotted several days ago in one of the shops in London. She started moving up, the suit was black and clearly made of silk. It was beautiful. The man had his hands tucked in his pockets, which already made him attractive but then, she moved her gaze even further upwards and Hermione saw his face.

"YOU?" yelled Hermione looking over the newspaper she was about to move.

"Got a problem Mudblood Granger?" replied Draco trying to act calm and not nervous.

Hermione looked at the newspaper and then she felt bad for yelling at him. She understood that his life was falling apart but then again, so was hers, and he just called her a mudblood!

"URG!" was the only thing Draco heard before the floor vibrated and the lights started flickering. It was almost like there was an earthquake for a second but the lights were still flickering.

Draco and Hermione both fell, face first on the floor.

"What's happening?" yelled Draco.

Hermione was in too much pain to reply to that.

Suddenly, a blue glowing ball appeared in Hermione's office. It was floating between them both and it was the only light source available in the room now. All the lights had gone off and before, Hermione and Draco had the time to react to the appearance of the ball, it began speaking.

"The ministry has fallen. The minister of Magic is dead. They are coming," said the ball before blowing up into several pieces and perishing.

Hermione knew this was horrible. She could get killed but then she realized Malfoy was there with her. Even though he loathed him, she could not leave him to die. Instantly, She stretched as far as she could for her bag and after she got hold of it, she pulled out her wand.

"What in the Merlin's beard do you think you're doing Granger?," asked Malfoy and before he had time to say more Hermione began speaking, "Hold my hand!" she yelled in pain.

"Why?"

"Trust me, Malfoy! I'll get us out of here, alive.," she said.

the floor was still trembling and they didn't have much time left. Hermione could hear people yelling and casting spells outside her office.

Draco knew that the trio had saved his life before and he was sure Hermione was not one to kill so, before wasting more time, Draco held on to Hermione's hand, giving her all his trust, looking into her hazel eyes as Hermione gave him a nod of appreciation and apparated.

**Even if you hated it, please review it! Please leave suggestions behind if you would like to. :) Cheers.**


	3. Making a Connection

Hermione took out the charmed necklace which was hanging around her neck, closed her eyes and wrapped her fingers around it, concentrating hard on the message she wanted to send Harry and Ron. She was worried sick. This was the first time the ministry had been under attack in years. She didn't understand, Voldemort was dead, so who in the world would attack the ministry? Was it possible that the death eaters found a new leader? Horrible ideas started flooding her mind.

Hermione was and always will be the brightest which of her age. Just after the war, she insisted that Harry, Ron and her each get a necklace with the protean charm on it so that if anyone of them were in trouble they could let each other know. It is understood that only one charm can send the message to others. So, what Hermione did was she made each of the charms a master charm which enables all of them to give out a message. She was amazing at planning ahead of time.

For a moment, Hermione was completely oblivious to the fact that Draco was standing right beside her but when she felt herself being watched, she turned to face him.

"Granger, Where are we?" Draco said observing his surroundings as he spoke again, "The death eaters will still be able to find us no matter where we are, you know."

Hermione had apparated them to her childhood home. It was the first place she could think of when she fled from the Ministry. The last time she had been there was many years ago when she was 17 years old. The place looked the same, no changes. It was just dirty. She let out a small chuckle when she noticed a picture of her parents hanging onto a wall above a dusty old fireplace. She remembered that she used to be in that picture as well but she perished all existing memories of her in that house.

She walked over to the portrait and used her hand to wipe the dust so that she could see her parents' faces once again. Memories came flooding back to her as a tear escaped her eye. Her parents loved her a lot. She remembered the day that she wiped away all of their memories, memories of her birth or anything related to her and implanted new ones. They did not even see it coming. Another tear escaped her eye when she remembered the day her parents found out that she was a witch. It was the happiest day of their lives. She removed the portrait and tapped the wall behind it with her wand. The wall sunk, revealing a small box. Hermione picked it up and examined it to see if it had been meddled with.

The box was made of teak wood and it had a small crest on it. The crest however looked very unusual. It was a picture of a little red haired girl.

"Granger, are you deaf?" Draco said making sure she was aware of his presence.

Hermione looked at Draco to acknowledge his presence and then walked over to him, keeping the box safe and within her hold. She took his hand in hers and apparated.

"Granger, as I said before, they can find us anywhere," Draco repeated.

Hermione wiped the tears from her eyes before facing him. "Calm down, this place is under the fidelius charm. I, Harry and Ron are the only secret keepers alive."

Before Draco could reply, Hermione's skin burned and she took out her charm to see who replied to her message.

_We're fine. Meet us there._

Hermione knew that that Harry and Ron would throw a fit when they arrive. Seeing Draco in Grimmauld would make Harry want to poke a hole through him. Even though everybody heard that the war changed everyone, Harry, Ron and Hermione were far from believing it. Then Hermione thought about how she just saved Malfoy's life.

"You know, I just saved your life. You could thank me," Hermione blurted out.

"I could have done the same; I didn't need your life saving, Granger."

"Malfoy, I'm your senior and you happen to be under my assistance. So, you better watch your mouth." Hermione replied walking away from him.

Before Draco had time to retort, there was a loud pop and Harry appeared with Ron, who was injured, in the living room.

Hermione heard the pop and tuned around to see that Ron was hurt. "Ron!" Hermione yelled and ran over to him. "What in the name of Merlin's beard happened?"

Harry was panting but he was not hurt. Obviously, they had been caught up in the raid. Harry gasped for air as he lay Ron down on the sofa.

Harry looked around and saw that Grimmauld Place had not changed a bit. The same old furniture was in the house and the same old portraits hung on the wall. There was just one difference, there was an addition. Sirius Black's portrait had been added to the wall by none other than Harry himself. He remembered that after Sirius's death, he admitted that if he was going to live in his godfather's house, there would be some memory of him.

"Harry James Potter! Answer my question!" Hermione yelled at the top of her voice.

Harry regained his consciousness and started answering. "Okay. So, I and Ron were in a meeting together when the ministry was attacked. I couldn't see any death eater's face. They were all wearing masks. Although, there was this man without a mask and I swear I saw him somewhere before but, I couldn't figure out whom he was."

"How did Ron get hurt?" asked Hermione eagerly, ignoring all the other things he was saying.

"So, that man arrived and started yelling at all the death eaters because we were not who he was looking for. Hermione, he said that he was looking for you." Harry continued.

Hermione gulped hard almost chocking herself. She noticed that Draco was staring at her so she tried to keep her cool and said," Harry, you're not answering my question. I asked you how Ron got hurt."

"As soon as Ron heard that man say your name he sent a stunning spell towards him but Ron was stupid to do so. The man being the leader of the death eaters is obviously powerful and Ron underestimated his powers. First he sent a few stunning spells in our direction but he failed but later, he started using the Cruciatus curse and he managed to get Ron while I was battling other death eaters." Harry stopped speaking and Ron began to speak.

"The minister saw me getting tortured and he came to protect me but long before I knew, he was dead. I and Harry started running for our lives but we bumped into a pair of death eaters. While Harry duelled one of them I duelled the other. I disarmed the death eater at the same time he disarmed me. Our wands went flying and all we had was our body so I attacked him with my bare hands and after Harry was done he got rid of that scum for me."

"You fought him with your bare hands? Ronald! What were you thinking?" Hermione started, "Now sit down and let me tend to your wounds! You're just lucky you had Harry and that you got out alive!"

"Hermione, I'm fine, just a little hurt that's all." Ron cut in.

"That's not worrying me right now Hermione. There are two things worrying me now. Why is Malfoy standing in Grimmauld Place and why is that man after you?" Harry added.

Draco was astounded by Harry's reaction. He expected Harry to pounce on him and he expected Ron to slaughter him.

"He's my partner now in the ministry and I couldn't just leave him there." Hermione responded not looking anywhere but the floor, embarrassed.

"I'll sort things out with him later; I have my own problems to solve now," then Harry looked at Malfoy directly and spoke, "Don't dare touch them."

Before Draco replied to Harry, Ron got a little mad that his best friend was going away in his time of need so without hesitation he blurted out a few angry words. "And where, may I ask, are you going?"

"To look for Ginny," Harry replied looking into Ron's eyes and disappearing.

Hermione was waiting for Ron's reaction on Draco's presence in Grimmauld Place.

Ron looked at Hermione's tense face and replied, "Mione, this is Harry's house and as long as Harry lets him live, I'm fine with it but that doesn't mean that I have to communicate with him because he is your partner."

"Wait a minute. Did he just say 'let him live' here? I swear on Merlin that there is no way I'm staying," interrupted Draco.

"Malfoy, I thought it was obvious. Once you're under our roof we won't let you leave until you're trustworthy. Plus, Harry must have cast the anti-apparation jinx by now." Ron added.

"Granger, you should have just left me there, I would have handled things on my own," blurted Draco.

Hermione got really mad. "First, I try to be nice and save your life and you repay me like this! I should have left you to die!"

"I think he won't be leaving soon," added Ron before yelling in pain.

"I guess not." Hermione said.

Hermione made sure she fixed all of Ron's bruises as much as possible and gave him all the potions he was supposed to take before walking downstairs. She walked into Draco staring at a piece of parchment.

Draco knew Hermione was coming because he heard the creaking of the stairs when she walked on them and he prepared himself for interrogation.

"What's that," Hermione asked before walking over to him and crossing her arms above her chest.

Draco looked at the way she stood beside him and handed her the note. "You're not going to like it," he said before walking over to the kitchen to get a drink.

Hermione looked at him walk away and thought about what could possibly be written in the letter which Draco handed her.

_Dear Ms. Hermione Granger and Mr. Draco Malfoy,_

_You're mission if you chose to accept it or not, are to find out who the culprit is behind the attack of The Ministry or Magic. As you may know, Mr, Skyle Walabi is dead and The Ministry of Magic is no longer in our control._

_Hermione granger, as the trusted head Auror we give this mission only to you and your partner. The mission clues are as follows:_

_The death eaters kept saying that their leader has risen from the dead._

_We have managed to find out the starting initial of the Dark Lord's name. His name is believed to begin with the letter "R"._

_The raid of the ministry was for one cause. The leader was looking for Hermione Granger._

_These are the only clues we have got so far. Hopefully, these clues help you get a head start if you choose to accept the mission._

_There is also some news which could be of interest to you. Hermione Granger, you're previous co-worker, Mr. Blakey was found dead in the Ministry of Magic. Nobody knows how his body got there but we found him during the raid. We are sorry to inform you this._

_Mr. Malfoy, I understand that you are new and that this was not expected but as Ms. Granger's co-worker, you are expected to stay and help her no matter what the circumstances are._

_Do not disappoint me Mr. Malfoy and Mrs. Granger. Good luck._

_Kingsley Shacklebolt. _

Hermione felt horrible. She just found out that one of the people who she was closest to had died. She was going to take revenge. His death would not go unnoticed. She also needed all the help she could get so she decided what was best for her and decided to speak to Draco.

"You know what this means right?" Hermione said eyeing Draco.

"The game begins!" replied Draco.

"No, it means we have to call it truce for the time being," retorted Hermione, even though she did not like the idea. She stretched an arm out for him.

Draco looked at her outstretched hand and then he held out his hand making a connection between them. 'Oh god!" he thought, 'what the hell have I done?'


End file.
